Bonfire Lounge

A lot of restaurants on 28th Avenue's Restaurant Row are closed on Mondays to give owners and employees a welcome reprieve after a busy weekend. Where does it leave the savvy diner in search of good food on the first work day of the week?

Such is the situation I found myself in last evening. I've been cooped up in the apartment for a week due to a terrible cough and cold and was in dire need of some fresh air - and some good, spicy food that I hoped I'd be able to taste. Yet I didn't want to disrupt diners with my hacking in a nice restaurant, but on the flipside, a smoky pub sounded awful.

I wandered south down 28th and ended up at Bonfire Lounge. The bar is divey, but the food is delicious, and there were outside tables so I could sit in the setting sun and enjoy a meal without disturbing others or inhaling secondhand smoke. Plus, on Monday nights Bonfire's well drinks are only $2! Bonus!

I had what I usually order at Bonfire because it is unexpectedly delicious - the blackened salmon served on a bed of coconut rice with a side salad. My dining companion enjoyed a blackened ahi tuna burger with guacamole and crispy salt-and-peppered French fries. My fish was a tad overdone, but the spicy blackening spices enlivened my taste buds (as well as cleared my sinuses a bit). The house made feta cheese and dill dressing was delicious and doubled as a nice fry dipping sauce.

It got a little chilly as the sun set down, but our meal at Bonfire was an overall treat.

If you choose to sit inside the dark, candlelit lounge, you will have the opportunity to use one of two pool tables, two pinball tables, or two table-top classic arcade games. A full bar is available and the affordable food is served late. Other menu items include salads, kebabs, burgers, and curries, most for less than $10.